Museums · Atlanta · United States
8 best museums in Atlanta
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Start with National Center for Civil and Human Rights, World of Coca-Cola and High Museum of Art. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 16–18 hours across 5 areas; all charge for entry.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 16–18 hours
- Areas
- Downtown, Midtown and Druid Hills
Museums in Atlanta
Museum · Downtown
1.National Center for Civil and Human Rights
This museum next to Centennial Olympic Park covers the American civil rights movement and global human rights struggles today.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Downtown
2.World of Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola was invented in Atlanta in 1886, and the company's museum covers its history, advertising and the vault said to hold the secret formula.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Food
Museum · Midtown
3.High Museum of Art
The Southeast's leading art museum occupies a white Richard Meier building with Renzo Piano extensions at the Woodruff Arts Center on Peachtree Street.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Druid Hills
4.Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Fernbank's atrium holds an Argentinosaurus, one of the largest dinosaurs ever found, among other giant skeletons.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Museum · Poncey-Highland
5.Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
Set on a hill between downtown and Virginia-Highland, the museum covers Jimmy Carter's presidency and his later humanitarian work through the Carter Center, with a full-size replica of the Oval Office.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Views
Museum · Downtown
6.College Football Hall of Fame
A hands-on museum of American college football, with a wall of helmets from hundreds of schools, interactive exhibits on the sport's traditions and an indoor field where visitors can try kicking field goals and running drills.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Active
Museum · Buckhead
7.Atlanta History Center
A large campus in Buckhead with museum galleries on the city's history, the restored 1880s Cyclorama painting of the Battle of Atlanta displayed in the round, the 1928 Swan House mansion and the Smith Family Farm, an 1860s farmhouse with gardens.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Museum · Midtown
8.Center for Puppetry Arts
A museum and theatre dedicated to puppetry, with a large Jim Henson collection including original Muppets and characters from Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock, plus puppets from many world traditions.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Art
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown | National Center for Civil and Human Rights, World of Coca-Cola and College Football Hall of Fame | 2 hours + 1.5–2 hours + 2 hours |
| Midtown | High Museum of Art and Center for Puppetry Arts | 2 hours + 2 hours |
| Druid Hills | Fernbank Museum of Natural History | 2–3 hours |
| Poncey-Highland | Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum | 1.5 hours |
| Buckhead | Atlanta History Center | 3 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 1 low cost, 7 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Fernbank Museum of Natural History; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Downtown): National Center for Civil and Human Rights → World of Coca-Cola, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Downtown and Midtown): College Football Hall of Fame → High Museum of Art, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Midtown and Druid Hills): Center for Puppetry Arts → Fernbank Museum of Natural History, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Poncey-Highland and Buckhead): Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum → Atlanta History Center, at least 5 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 15°C (59°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild days alternate with chilly ones; early blossom appears late in the month.
- January: highs of 12°C (54°F), about 11 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and often damp, with occasional frost; rare snow or ice can bring the city to a halt.
- November: highs of 18°C (64°F), about 8 rainy days, moderate crowds. Cool, clear days and autumn colour in the parks; holiday light displays open mid-month.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Downtown — Centennial Olympic Park, the big attractions and convention hotels
- Midtown — High-rises, the arts district and Piedmont Park's skyline views
- Buckhead — Luxury malls, mansions on tree-lined streets and polished steakhouses
- Virginia-Highland — 1920s bungalows and neighbourhood bars along North Highland Avenue
- Decatur — Courthouse square, craft beer and a small-town feel at the end of the Blue Line
More of Atlanta
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Atlanta?
National Center for Civil and Human Rights. This museum next to Centennial Olympic Park covers the American civil rights movement and global human rights struggles today.